Crown-die for forming hats.



PATBNTED Noms, wos.

H. o. sTBARNs. CROWN DIE FOR FORMING HATS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

i UNITED STATES Patented Novembr 3, 1903.

PATENT OEEICE.

HENRY O. STEARNS, OF FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THOMASL. BARBER, OF FRAMINGI-IAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

CROWN-DIE FOR FORMING HATS.

JPECIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 743,045, dated November 3, 1903.

Application tiled June 10, 1903. Serial No. 160,860. (No model-l To all whom. t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY O. STEARNS,of Framingham, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Crown-Die for Forming Hats, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

In forming what are commonly called "body and cloth hats, because made from a hat-body, so called, the bell-crown is commonly made by means of a male mold in several pieces and a female mold also in several pieces, the hat-body being placed over the male mold, then both inserted in the female mold, which is closed about the body on the male mold, and the bell-crown thus formed under Aheat and moisture, the crown drying under pressure between the molds. The female mold is then opened, and the formed hat, with the male mold still in it, is taken out and the male mold removed from the crown piece by piece.

. The object of my invention is to makea male mold for this use in which the parts of the mold are all connected to one base, and yet these parts will separate in the proper order when pulled out of the bell-crown, as will now be more fully described by reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis an elevation of one form of my improved crown-die. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the die shown in Fig. l, but viewed from another point. Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the manner in which the segments of the die shown in Figs. l and 2 collapse. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the segments, showing them assembled.

The female mold for shaping the outer surface of the bellcr0wn is and has long been so familiar to all persons skilled in this art as to need no description and is not shown, my invention not relating to it, but solely to means for connecting the parts dy ot a2 as a4 of the moldto the base b, standard c, and cap d. The center` piece a4 is most conveniently secured to base b by a screw b. The

movable parts d, a/'ct2 a3 I secure to the base Z9 and standard c by hooks f, which extend through 'slot b2 in base b and whose upper ends play in slots c in standard c. The cap moved and replaced in order that screw b" may be unscrewed when a different center piece a4 is to be used. Standard c is atubular piece of metal secured to base b. The

locking-bolts g engage hasps g', which are.

fast on the segments a a2 of the mold, so that when these hasps project through the slots bsin base b andthe bolts g are pressed through the hasps g all the parts a. a a2 a3 are held firmly in place to make the complete male mold a a a2 a3 a4.

As the male mold is used hot, I provide socket-levers g2 for moving the locking-bolts g into and out of place in the hasps g.

The operation is as follows: The parts of the male mold being assembled and locked, it is placed on the heater, and when hot enough it is taken by the cap d, which being a nonconductor does not get too hot to be handled, and placed at the middle of the hat-body, and the hat-body is turned up about the edge of the male mold, and the body and male mold are then placed together at the middle of the female mold, the parts of which are then brought together about the body and the male mold, as usual, and the plunger of the press brought down on cap d, as usual. The operators then manipulate the brim of the body in the Well-known manner and thereafter repeat the whole operation on another press, the hat in the first press in the meantime drying and setting. The first press is then opened, and

the male mold, with the hat on it, is removed to another bench, the locksunlocked, and the operator lifts the male mold by the cap d out of the hat, the hooksfof the parts a.' and 0.3 first engaging their slots c in standard c and swinging parts a a3 together, thereby allowing the parts a and a2 to swing together as soon as their hooks f engage their slots c', as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. y

This apparatusis Wholly new with me, so far as I have any reason to believe, and its main advantages are a material saving in the time of the operators, and consequent increase in product, and a complete prevention of injury to the corners and edges of the segments a a a2 a8, which in the apparatus heretofore known frequently fall and become defaeed.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The male mold forshapinghats above described comprising segments which together make up lthe male mold proper, a base, and means for connecting the segments and the base with the segments in either one of two positions relatively to the base.

2. In combination in a male mold for shaping hats, the slotted base, the standard fast to the base, the segments together constituting the male mold proper; and hooks, one for each of the four segments, which hooks extend each through its slot in the base and each c0per' ates with its slot in the standard, all substantially as described.

3. In Combination in a male mold for shaping hats, the slotted base, the standard fast to the base, the segments together constituting the male mold proper; and hooks, one for each 

